McLaren sent a powerful message to the rest of the field during FP2 at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, with data analysis revealing a significant pace advantage over their rivals in both qualifying and race simulations.
The evening session at the Bahrain International Circuit showcased the true competitive order under representative night-time conditions, and it was clear that McLaren were comfortably out in front.
McLaren are expected to hold an advantage of roughly 0.4 seconds over the next fastest team in qualifying, a huge gap at this stage of the season.
Behind the dominant McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, the battle for best of the rest appears to be between Mercedes and Red Bull, with both teams showing strong race pace but lacking the outright qualifying performance to match the leaders.
Mercedes are running with the least drag, helping their straight-line speed, but the W16 is struggling in slower-speed corners where McLaren excel according to FP2 data analysis. Balance issues for George Russell were evident in the telemetry, particularly through Turn 7 where he lost 0.4s compared to Piastri due to throttle lift and rear instability.
Red Bull also face challenges, especially in the final sector. Max Verstappen lost significant time to Piastri in the latter part of the lap, struggling with tyre performance and delayed throttle application.
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Ferrari show potential
While Ferrari appeared competitive in FP2, their run plan was offset compared to rivals, suggesting some of their headline lap times were flattered by track evolution.
Ideal lap analysis showed that Lewis Hamilton had the most time left on the table in FP2, with a potential gain of 0.68s. If he had combined his best sectors, Hamilton would have finished fourth rather than eighth.
Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive adaptation to F1, placing well within the top five for Mercedes.
Tyres and strategy: What to expect
Tyre degradation during FP2 was mostly in line with expectations, although the Hard compound performed closer to the Medium than anticipated. The Medium tyre has shown improved durability for the race following changes to its construction.
High degradation levels suggest a two-stop strategy is likely on Sunday, with the Soft tyre expected to be the fastest for the first seven laps, followed by the Medium and then the Hard for longer stints.
Rear tyre management is particularly crucial in Bahrain, especially for Sector 3 during qualifying runs, where McLaren showed a distinct advantage over their rivals by maintaining performance throughout the lap.
Racing Bulls impress, Williams show race pace
Elsewhere, Racing Bulls impressed with their qualifying performance, although their race simulations lagged behind Williams, who appear stronger over longer runs.
Isack Hadjar continued to catch the eye, performing well in FP2 and going toe-to-toe with Verstappen in the telemetry comparisons, particularly through the technical middle sector.
With such a commanding advantage for McLaren heading into Saturday’s qualifying session, it will take a major step forward from the chasing pack if Mercedes, Red Bull, or Ferrari are to deny them pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
